The devolution and the resulting evolution of rap-metal has certainly
separated the wheat from the chaff and its to Papa Roach's credit that
they decided to leap before the whole genre collapsed under the weight
of its own self-imposed clichés. Its easy to forget though that
Papa Roach actually existed long before the terms rap-metal and Nu-Metal
became popular and everyone in the know is fully aware of the pact between
the Roach and Alien Ant Farm which existed way back in the day when both
bands were struggling to find an audience. Then of course they released
the "Infest" album and a synchronicity seemed to be propelling these bands
instantly into the limelight which resulted in an overload which still
dilutes the rock scene to this day.

Now, wiser older, with a name change to boot (Ed: Coby Dick has reverted
back to his birth-right and now goes under the name Jacoby Shaddix) and
new found direction which takes in the classic rock bands rather than trying
to appear post-modern and add walls of scratching over processed guitars.
Its a move which makes sense, especially on a track like "Time And Time
Again" which seems to have a timeless quality about it musically only to
be marred slightly by the infantile angst of Shaddix with lyrics like "emotional
swords slash my soul" taken out of the ABC of rock clichés. On the
other hand "Decompression Period" is the sort of song which Puddle Of Mudd
wish they could write and really shows how limiting the rap-rock genre
was when you hear Jacoby sing "Can't you read the story of our lives. Death
to me and life for you. Something isn't right".

Throughout it really is Jacoby Shaddix's lyrics that either make or
break the tracks and while he speaks for a generation of males who find
it hard to express their emotions eloquently there doesn't seem to be light
at the end of the tunnel. Whereas the likes of the Smiths and Manics, and
more recently Marilyn Manson, begged us to stay true to ourselves and bath
in our own individuality and intelligence there seems to be a mindless
angst ridden melodrama which doesn't take us any deeper than the emotional
stunted "I'm a jerk, life's not fair". "LoveHateTragedy" is a great album
if you simply view it as an alternative to the pop trash, but taking it
any deeper than entertainment would surely be a mistake.